We just got back from a two week vacation in Antigua. We stayed at the Royal Antigua Beach and Tennis Resort. We arrived at the resort around 10:00am on 23-DEC-2005 (late night flight out of Toronto).
My first impression - nice and very quiet. Our room was on the top floor of the resort. It was nice and clean, great view of the ocean. When we went for lunch, we were the only ones there. Quite surprising. After lunch we went to the pool bar. Again, we were the only ones there. We walked down to the beach. It was completely deserted.
We found out that apparently the resort has changed management and lost many, many customers. For the week of Christmas, there were only five couples checked in to the whole resort !!! Yes, it was very quiet and very boring also. None of the services we were promised were offered because of the drop in guests. Only one restaurant was open for breakfast, lunch and supper. The resort was empty. There was absolutely nothing to do!! We ended up travelling to St. John's every day, just for something to do. But the taxi rides begin to get a little expensive. The resort was suppose to offer a shuttle service, free of charge to guests. But it was cancelled.
By our second week, a few more guests had checked in and finally they opened the beach bar for one day only!! They also had lunch served in the Beach restaurant (not everyday, but I think maybe three times during the week).
The day of our check out, we asked if it would be possible to check out at 3pm (not 12pm as indicated). Our flight was at 6:00pm. The resort staff told us that it would be no problem, but they would be charging us an additional $50 US for each hour over the normal check out time. This was the last straw!! The resort was empty. Their reason for the extra charge - they might need our room for incoming guests. Give me a break !! We refused to pay indicating to them that none of the services we expected when we arrived were offered. It was not a pleasant conversation. After discussing with the on-site manager, he waved the extra charge. But first he said he had to ensure our ocean front room was not required. We were the only ones on the 8th floor !!! Geez, what a crock of %@&$.
Well, we will not return to the Royal Antiguan Beach and Tennis Resort.

Our Arrival: Our departure from Toronto was at 11:30 p.m. We arrived in Antigua at 5: 20 a.m. The flight was uneventful and going through customs was very quick. The drive to the hotel was about 25 minutes.

Room:
Our room was on the 8th floor we had a mountain view and woke up to a family of goats every morning. The room was outdated and need some serious upgrading. However, it was clean and spacious.

Grounds:
The hotel gardens were beautiful. And since the hotel is on a lagoon the view was breathtaking.

Pool:
The pool was small. Lounge chairs were available at all times.

Beach:
It was AMAZING. The water was perfect. The sand was white and the sun was always hot. This was by far the best part of the resort.

Bugs:
There were tons of bugs. Lots of sun flies and everyone was getting bit. Bring bug repellent.

Restaurants:
The resort has a total of three restaurants. Andes, The Lounge and Barrington’s. We did not get a chance to eat at Barrington’s because you needed to make a reservation as soon as you got there to eat within 7 days. It was always booked and open only on certain days. We ate breakfast at The Lounge and all other meals at Andes. Andes was on the beach and the food was great, however it was not a buffet. SPECIAL NOTE: We were on an all-inclusive package, however, water was not included and we had to sign a bill for everything, even a single drink. A wristband approach would have been much more convenient.

Clubs/Bars:
There was a club in the resort called The Club, there wasn’t much entertainment. We caught karaoke one night and a DJ on another. There was also a small casino with about 20 slot machines that we went to twice

Staff and Service:
The service was okay, it wasn’t great and sometimes it was bad.

Activities:
There was only one activity per day. This was kayak racing, volleyball or ping-pong. We went for an hour horseback ride, which cost 40.00 US per person. This was fun and a little scary. The ride was nice and we went to a local village and then to a secluded beach. The scary part was that none of us new how to ride and no lesson was provided.

Shopping:
There was only one store at the resort for souvenir shopping, this was also the convenience store, but the selection was very small. There were a number of vendors on the beech as well. They did become pushy sometimes and approached us everyday.

Summary:
Going Home: Uneventful.

This was an okay trip, even though the resort was rated a 3.5 star and was more like at 2 star we had a great time and came home with no complaints!

We are now in our final day of a one-week vacation at the Royal Antiguan Beach and Tennis Resort, and we have had a wonderful vacation here. We are here with my parents and my husband's parents. We unanimously give the Royal Antiguan high scores in all categories. The last reviewers mentioned the lack of guests at this resort. There are more people here now than they described, but this big hotel is far from full. This has not seemed like a disadvantage to us...we have enjoyed it--but we can't figure out why more people aren't here! The beach is the best we have seen anywhere and there is never any trouble getting a chair and catching some quiet time in the sun. The beach restaurant was open all of the days we have been here except for a couple of days when rain showers drove people off of the beach. When that happens they serve the same menu in a lovely open air restaurant nearer the hotel. One night there was a 'Manager's Cocktail Party' with hot appetizers and free drinks in the lobby. The manager went around welcoming everybody. This preceded the Thursday night bar-be-que buffet that was quite an incredible meal. My husband and I are vegetarians; our parents are not. We all had plenty of great food. For us there was corn on the cob, baked potatoes, cooked vegetables, potato salad, beet salad, cole slaw, seasoned rice, soup, bread, etc. For everybody else there was all this and all sorts of barbequed meats. The dessert selection was incredible, including an amazing coconut pie. The food in general has been the best we have ever eaten on a Caribbean vacation. The landscaping, including vegetation, walkways, and fountains, is absolutely beautiful and very well-maintained. The views from the hotel are lovely (but pay a bit extra and get a lagoon-view or ocean-view room). Finally, and most importantly, the people who work at this hotel are some of the nicest we have met anywhere. If you come, be sure to give some food to the ancient cat who hangs around the grounds and adds still more atmosphere to this great place.

I travelled alone to Antigua back in August 2000. Because I have to paid for the single suppliment, I decided on a 3+ stars hotel than going for 4 stars. Royal Antiguan is the only 3+ stars on the island, and at that time, I needed desperately some personal time, and there I went.

Arrival:
I travelled alone to Antigua back in August 2000. Because I have to paid for the single suppliment, I decided on a 3+ stars hotel than going for 4 stars. Royal Antiguan is the only 3+ stars on the island, and at that time, I needed desperately some personal time, and there I went.

The arrival from the airport to the hotel was short, as compared to my other trips to Cayo Guillermo, Punta Cana etc. But on my way, the little van took a turn into a local village, and it's an eye opening experience. I had my first taste of the local culture during the 25 mins drive to the hotel.

Arriving at the hotel at around 7 o'clock, and it's already dark. I was thoroughly impressed by the setting in the lobby, with the fountain and the flora, and the openess. Check-in was smooth.

Room:
My room was on the 7th floor facing the mountain. The room was clean and with very basic amenities, the washroom and the bed was clean and comfortable. I only went into it for sleep, so it's fine with me.

The Ground:
It's magnificent! The vegetation was lush, and colorful. I arrived late, and it's already dark, I didn't have the chance to see the full landscape until the next morning. When I opened the curtains in my room the next morning, the view just took my breath away. Moreover, at night they have these frogs croaking softly, and it's a sound I've never heard of in my life. It's amazingly musical.

The Beach:
It's the quintenssential Caribbean beach!! Fine, white sad, calm blue sea!! The best beach I have ever seen. One day, I have my hair braided on the beach during sunset. It's the most relaxing experience. In late August, it's usually the jellyfish season, there were a lot of tiny jellyfishes popping up during noon time. Be aware! Once I have a jellyfish tentacle accidentally touched my face, and the stinging sensation lasted an hour!

There was a ship wrack just off the shore, I swam out there with my snokeling gear, and you could see a lot of different fishes there.

Restaurant:
This resort has 3 restaurants, but I mostly went to Andres and the Lounge. Didn¡¦t go to the Barrington, which required advanced booking and it never seems to open¡K
The food was amazing at the Lounge. I went there for breakfasts, and usually dined at the Andres, which is located on the beach for lunch. As for dinners, I interchanged between the Lounge and the Andres. The black pineapple is a must try!! I could never find pineapples that sweet and tasty here in Canada. Del Monte never come close.
There were a lot of flies around the food though. It took me a couple of days to get used to them, and afterward, they didn¡¦t bother you at all.
The resort does not have a wristband system, for every meal and every drink you have to sign a slip.

Excursions:
I practically booked my week (7days) full. I went on a Catamaran trip, and a sunset cruise on different day. And I went on horseback riding for more than 2 hours. I was the only tourist on that trip, and the guide was so kind to me. He brought me up to a mountaintop and to a secluded beach. I took a bus to St. John, and did some shopping. I bargained with the local vendors, and it¡¦s a lot of fun. I preferred going to the local area than to the tourist area, which often charges at least 25% more for similar product. I also joined the rain forest tour, which took me to across the inland of the island. I saw black pineapple farms, and some of the sugar cane factory ruins. Then I went to Shirley¡¦s Height, and Dickenson Bay for some shopping and history lessons!

Overall:
Antigua was my first trip to the Caribbean, and I fell in love with the area ever since. For this year, my husband and I are going on our honeymoon in August to Bayahibe! I will never get tired of the islands!